President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged views on bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues of common concern during their meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Thursday.

China is ready to work with Russia in extending strong support to each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, Xi said during the meeting.

China is also willing to deepen pragmatic cooperation in such areas as trade, agriculture and connectivity, Xi added.

He called for both sides to strengthen coordination within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, the BRICS and other multilateral mechanisms to promote solidarity and mutual trust among related parties.

The Chinese president also said China and Russia should expand pragmatic cooperation, safeguard security and interests of the region, and preserve the common interests of developing countries and emerging market countries.